I Can't, I'm Not Wearing a Princess Dress! - New TR link!!!!

[SimplyGoofy]

I'm here and all caught up!

I may have missed some of the details (as I skipped most of the comments and concentrated on the updates), but many prayers, good thoughts, and pixie dust for your family. As others have stated, take whatever time you need and we'll be here for you once you return!

Onto the report...

I'm thrilled that you were able to go to Universal, but I'm sad that many things weren't as exciting as you'd hoped. I'm SO impressed that you gathered a strong Potter background before your trip - I do think the Wizarding World is more interesting if you have some context. It's too bad that you didn't enjoy the Potter headliners (I loved them, but I'm a thrill ride fanatic for all types of rides) but I'm glad you loved Diagon Alley. It really was ridiculously well done! I thought Knockturn Alley was pretty spectacular as well! I would highly recommend a Krusty Burger if you make it back to the Simpson's food court - it was pretty tasty. I'm not brokenhearted that they're redoing the Hulk coaster - I thought it was awfully bumpy during our last trip, much more so than our last visit there in 2012.

You didn't get the stepsisters at Park Faire?! How disappointing! They and the Stepmother were definitely the highlights for our meal there. The food was better than I was expecting (no one seems to rave about the food - just the "entertainment") but the characters are certainly the best part of the experience. I'm glad your daughter was thrilled with Cinderella!

Whoo-hoo, an extra Disney day! How nice that you managed to knock out the Adventureland rides as well as a few Fantasyland favorites. I'm right there with you on holding your spot for the parade - I don't mind shifting out the way a bit for a nice family, but no, I will not be giving up my well-guarded spot for your kid. If that's a priority for you, get there early or obtain a Fastpass. (Or go to Frontierland - there always seem to be plenty of good spots there.)

It looks like your wife and daughter had a lovely day at Sea World!

 

[franandaj]

But first I got to enjoy my delicious cinnamon roll that I had brought back from Gaston’s Tavern… that’s how you do breakfast the day after you’ve been to MK.

I mentioned this to Fran and she said, "Well that is if it lasts until breakfast!"

Now I don’t profess to know everything they did at Sea World and I’m not quite as creative as @Captain_Oblivious so I think I’ll refrain from making it up.

Aw...you could have given it a try, I like his theory that Exploding Helicopters make anything more exciting!

They did tell me that DD loved the dolphins. Apparently, part of the dolphin display is kind of a dolphin nursery for some of the younger ones and you can watch them swimming around.

That could definitely be mesmerizing!

Just as DD turned around and was face to face with a huge sea turtle.

I would think that would be pretty cool!

I’ll close out their day with some pictures from the sea lion and orca shows.

They really need a new fashion consultant!

As for me… well, I was in my meeting. And it involved an election for a position that opens maybe every 15 years or so as well as some other interesting subject matter. There was no problem keeping my attention all day. I definitely didn’t fall asleep.


Have a little faith, would ya?

I just know myself and sitting in one place for a long time always makes me drowsy.

Besides, they had all the Pepsi and Mountain Dew I could drink. I was either feeling the effects of caffeine or just trying to hold it until the next break just about all day long. Who can sleep under those circumstances???

And I can't drink carbonated beverages, so that doesn't help matters either.

We ended up just going to an Olive Garden that was close to the hotel and used a gift card that we had.

Not a bad choice, especially with a gift card. I love the tour of Italy.....Hey! We have some gift cards for there.

We had been invited to a reception in a suite at that other hotel I spent all day at, so I decided to go back over there for a while. I ended up staying until about 10:30, but it was nice to have a few drinks and chat for a couple of hours.

Plus you get some time for adult conversation. I understand that is a big draw for folks with kids.

1. Did we make it to MK in time for the Welcome Show? (10 points)

Yes

2. What was our first ride of the day? (20 points)

Peter Pan

3. We did online check-in. Did things go smoothly with it? (10 points)

Yes

4. What ride was I on when I felt the urge to throw somebody off? (10 points) Bonus points if you can guess why I was mad or come up with an entertaining theory.

Little Mermaid. Someone kept taking flash pictures.

5. Which character meet, not including Belle, did we do in MK? (10 points)

Ariel

6. Where did we eat lunch? (10 points)

Cosmic Rays

7. What snack did we get on the way out of MK that afternoon? (10 points)

Rice Krispie Treat

8. Which form of Disney transportation did we take from TTC to MK? (5 points)

Monorail

9. Which form of Disney transportation did we take from MK to TTC? (5 points)

Monorail.

 

[jedijill]

Playing major catch up again.

I'm thinking about you and your family.

$30 for a 3yo seems like a lot! Glad your DW and DD had fun at Seaworld!

Jill in CO

 

[Steppesister]

Hey Andy! You're probably super busy right now with the farm. How're the crops doing so far? Soy and corn planted yet, or are you putting them in next month? How are the plans for relocating going?

 

[afwdwfan]

Going to catch up on replies tomorrow if I get time but just wanted to comment on this.

Hey Andy! You're probably super busy right now with the farm. How're the crops doing so far? Soy and corn planted yet, or are you putting them in next month? How are the plans for relocating going?

Relocating is on the back burner until the next appointment. Hoping to find out more details and we'll meet with social services to find out what help, if any, they will provide for us.

As for the farm... yep getting to be that time of year. Not much going on yet. We haven't had consistently warm enough weather or dry enough soil yet to get too fired up but that changed this weekend. We've been busy spraying and getting equipment ready to go. I actually hooked the cultivator up and worked a little ground up yesterday just to try some things out and get it set. The ground is a little bit more weedy than normal due to all the false starts we had on the warm temperatures and the excessive rain we've had so we're afraid we might have trouble getting the vegetation through to leave a good seed bed. But right now we're not quite ready to plant yet. Maybe later this week depending on weather. We're supposed to get some rain mid week.

 

[afwdwfan]

OOPS!!! Sorry about that! I though this was one of those gender-neutral trip reports where it didn't matter which term someone uses.

Yeah.

I went there!

My DW has that skill.

So... don't let her cook or drive, huh?

Wow. That's actually pretty impressive.

I've been such a bad DIS'er lately. Trying to keep up on all the threads and reports has been difficult! I'm gonna post my answers in case your getting ready for an update and hopefully I can get in for a proper reply soon!

Yeah, I know the feeling. And I haven't even had a chance to begin the next update yet...

1. Did we make it to MK in time for the Welcome Show? (10 points)
Yes

2. What was our first ride of the day? (20 points)
Peter Pan

3. We did online check-in. Did things go smoothly with it? (10 points)
Yes

4. What ride was I on when I felt the urge to throw somebody off? (10 points) Bonus points if you can guess why I was mad or come up with an entertaining theory.
Pirates, flash photography

5. Which character meet, not including Belle, did we do in MK? (10 points)
Merida

6. Where did we eat lunch? (10 points)
Pecos Bills

7. What snack did we get on the way out of MK that afternoon? (10 points)
Pretzel

8. Which form of Disney transportation did we take from TTC to MK? (5 points)
Monorail

9. Which form of Disney transportation did we take from MK to TTC? (5 points)
Boat

Got em!

My DH has that skill for sure, right Andy? Don't deny it!

I'm not gonna throw the poor guy under the bus. Airport signage can be very confusing.

Moving onto things that pay me a salary rather than commission. I am NOT cut out for a sales job

Sounds like a good change then. I don't think I would be cut out for commission work either. Just way too many variables outside of your direct control that can have an effect on your income. I guess it provides more upside, but I'd be more worried about the downside.

I guess thats a pretty fair trade off!

Yeah, it seemed to work out well.

How adorable! Who doesn't love dolphins?! Maybe you have a future marine biologist, or dolphin trainer on your hands!

Maybe. But unless something changes, she'll be terrified of them if they get within 5 feet of her. She loves animals, but only from a distance.

That would probably freak me out a bit too. Up close he does look a little menacing.

I never doubted you.

There was plenty of doubt here to go around.

There it is. You had a little help.

Just a little bit.

A nice chill get together is always a welcomed experience.

YAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

 

[afwdwfan]

I'm here and all caught up!

Welcome back to the Disboards!

I may have missed some of the details (as I skipped most of the comments and concentrated on the updates), but many prayers, good thoughts, and pixie dust for your family. As others have stated, take whatever time you need and we'll be here for you once you return!

Thank you. And I've not shared too many details up to this point, being that it is a public board so you've probably not missed much.

I'm thrilled that you were able to go to Universal, but I'm sad that many things weren't as exciting as you'd hoped. I'm SO impressed that you gathered a strong Potter background before your trip - I do think the Wizarding World is more interesting if you have some context. It's too bad that you didn't enjoy the Potter headliners (I loved them, but I'm a thrill ride fanatic for all types of rides) but I'm glad you loved Diagon Alley. It really was ridiculously well done! I thought Knockturn Alley was pretty spectacular as well!

I'm definitely glad that I took the time to watch the movies. It really made it come together and made for a better experience than just "a really well themed area." I thought the movies were good. I wasn't too excited about the first few, but I though the last few were good. They really did a great job with Diagon Alley. I liked it more than Hogsmeade.

As much as I enjoy thrill rides, I really just wish they were a little more thrilling and a little less screen dependent. I understand why they've gone that route. Getting the effects that they portray through the movie vignettes via other means would definitely be cost prohibitive. But, like I mentioned, motion simulation does give me motion sickness and it seems like Universal has just sold out 100% and will rely on nothing but this kind of technology... a little bit disappointing to me.

I would highly recommend a Krusty Burger if you make it back to the Simpson's food court

It is definitely going to be a priority!

I'm not brokenhearted that they're redoing the Hulk coaster - I thought it was awfully bumpy during our last trip, much more so than our last visit there in 2012.

I don't remember it being all that rough, but I just loved riding it anyway. When you think about how old it is though and the fact that it is in warm weather and operates 365 days/year... well yeah, I guess that would age it and put some wear and tear on it. I'm glad that they seem to at least be putting it back into the same basic configuration that it was before.

You didn't get the stepsisters at Park Faire?! How disappointing! They and the Stepmother were definitely the highlights for our meal there. The food was better than I was expecting (no one seems to rave about the food - just the "entertainment") but the characters are certainly the best part of the experience. I'm glad your daughter was thrilled with Cinderella!

It was definitely disappointing to miss out on the highlight of the meal. But it was ok... DD definitely was happy with it.

Whoo-hoo, an extra Disney day! How nice that you managed to knock out the Adventureland rides as well as a few Fantasyland favorites. I'm right there with you on holding your spot for the parade - I don't mind shifting out the way a bit for a nice family, but no, I will not be giving up my well-guarded spot for your kid. If that's a priority for you, get there early or obtain a Fastpass. (Or go to Frontierland - there always seem to be plenty of good spots there.)

It was awesome to get a few extra hours at MK, and I was really happy with all we accomplished. Honestly, had the family been a little bit nicer, I'd have offered my spot. As long as DW and DD were front row, I was ok with it. I could get behind them and see just fine and their kids could have moved to the front. It really isn't that big of a deal to me. But they weren't nice, so neither was I.

It looks like your wife and daughter had a lovely day at Sea World!

They really had nothing but good things to say about it.

I mentioned this to Fran and she said, "Well that is if it lasts until breakfast!"

The temptation is real!!! There's always the idea of buying 2 in case one doesn't survive the night.

Or do what I do. Hide it!

Aw...you could have given it a try, I like his theory that Exploding Helicopters make anything more exciting!

I know, I know... I'm failing as a TR writer.

That could definitely be mesmerizing!

I would think that would be pretty cool!

Me too! But apparently not when you're half as big as the turtle.

They really need a new fashion consultant!

What's wrong with their fashion?

I just know myself and sitting in one place for a long time always makes me drowsy.

True.

And I can't drink carbonated beverages, so that doesn't help matters either.

Well, they had plenty of coffee too. But I don't drink coffee, so I went for the carbonated stuff.

Not a bad choice, especially with a gift card. I love the tour of Italy.....Hey! We have some gift cards for there.

I like the Tour of Italy too. Can't decide what you want? Try a little bit of everything!

Plus you get some time for adult conversation. I understand that is a big draw for folks with kids.

Yes

Peter Pan

Yes

Little Mermaid. Someone kept taking flash pictures.

Ariel

Cosmic Rays

Rice Krispie Treat

Monorail

Monorail.

Got em!

Playing major catch up again.

I'm thinking about you and your family.

Thank you.

$30 for a 3yo seems like a lot! Glad your DW and DD had fun at Seaworld!

It was definitely a lot for a 3 yo. But it was a flat price per person... and DW and I were free, so...

They really enjoyed Sea World! I think they'd probably enjoy going back sometime.

 

[pkondz]

So... don't let her cook or drive, huh?

But she does laundry. So I guess I'll keep her around.

 

[afwdwfan]

Ok, I have no reasonable expectation of being able to keep up around here right now. I've just been way too busy. I might get around to another update sometime...



But I did want to pop in and share something. I haven't shared too many details publicly about what we're dealing with, but since April 19 is CDH Awareness Day, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share some info about what our baby has. I'm not going to get into too many specific details, because frankly we don't have many. But this link gives a little bit of general information about CDH and what it is. It isn't the best explanation, but it is a little more brief and readable than anything I've read from medical schools. It mentions in utero surgery though, and we've been told that really isn't something that is used anymore because it hasn't proven to be a successful option.

 

[cajunfan]

I will keep your family in my prayers that the baby is one of the ones that do very well! Thanks for sharing the site.

And please do not worry about the TR...there are more important things in your life right now!

Take care!

Lynn

 

[pkondz]

Thanks for the link Andy. As always, thinking of you guys.

 

[jandlinz]

Sending thoughts and prayers your way. Thanks for sharing. We're here when you're ready. No need to worry about the trip report.

 

[jedijill]

Sending big hugs your family's way.

Jill in CO

 

[Gracefulskinny]

 

[cindianne320]

Thanks for sharing the link. Many hugs and prayers sent your family's way.

 

[glennbo123]

Praying for the best for your family and that little tyke Andy.

Sounds like your wife and daughter had a nice time at Sea World. Good that they could catch a killer whale show, seems like those will be a thing of the past soon.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

We'll keep praying for you guys as you go through this, Andy.

 

[irene_dsc]

Thanks for the link. Sending hugs and good thoughts your way.

 

[Leshaface]

Definitely still praying over here! Wow, I had no idea there were that many cases each year.

 

[khertz]

Just imagining DD's reaction to turning around and finding that huge sea turtle behind her has me 'ing! I'm glad the girls had a fun day at Sea World. I haven't been since I was a teen going with my parents but I remember really enjoying the park!